Control device for internal combustion and other engines



W. F. STANTON coNTRoL DEVICE Eon INTERNAL couBUs'rIoN AND OTHER ENGINESUrignal Fi'led'larch 1.9. 1926 Aug. 30,' 1932.

Patented Aug. 30, 1932 WARREN I'. STANTON, 0F PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLANDCONTROL DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION OTHER ENGINES ApplicationledMarch 19, 1923, Serial No. 96,088.. Renewed December 19,I 1931.

Broadly stated the object of my invention is to utilize the conditionsexisting in an engine cylinder at different points of the piston stroke,as for example, the pressures therein, to control automatically any oneor all of a number of factors which enter into the operation of theengine to the end that the highest eiiciency thereof may be pro motedand hand adjustment by the engine operator be avoided or renderedunnecessary. Thus, the timing of the spa-rk, thev mixture strength, themixture temperature,

and the density of the cylinder charge may be so controlled, and afeature of= my present invention is the control of all of these by onedevice. However, any one or any number of` these may be the subject ofautomatic control in accordance with my invention. Control of thedensity of the cylinder charge is of practical importance, beca-use itenables the construction of engines having higher compression than isnow the practice with the advantages of the higher efficiencies andgreater power that result from high `compression since the disagreeableknocking which occurs at low speeds of high compression engines isprevented and yet the full charge of gas at the higher speeds isassured.

My invention consists in whatever is described by or is included withinthe terms or scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of afour-cycle valve-inhead internal combustion engine embodying myinvention; l

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof with parts in section;

Fig. 3 is an end view partly in section;

'Fig 4 is a det-ail view on a. larger scale of the rotary reciprocatingvalve;

Fig. 5 is a detail view in section of th dash-pot;

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view thereof.

M y invention is based upon and utilizes my conception of providing apressure actuated device which may be a piston in a cylinder, which atselected points in the stroke of the engine pistonwill be subjected tothe engine cylinder pressure existing atv such selected points and movedthereby in one direction, or the other dependent upon what is superiorpressure at the selected points or not moved at all if there is nodifference in pressure, and to utilize movements of the pressureactuated device so produced to control the timing of the spark, or otherfactors important to be controlled.

To illustrated one embodiment of my invention I show it applied to afour-cycle, valve-in-head engine, which in accordance with my inventionhas, as hereinafter explained in detail, means to establish pressurecommunication between the combustion chamber and a piston in a cylinderso that the piston will be moved in one/direction or the other accordingto the pressures in the lcombustion chamber, and its movement utilizedto operate the tim-er of the ignition system-to shift the time ofignition, advancing or retarding the ignition as may be necessary tobring about or approximate ideal conditions of ignition.

Outside the engine, 10, is mounted a cylinder, 12, within which is apiston, 13, which is connected with the timer, 14, of usual constructionWhich by the movement of the piston, 13, is shifted to advance or retardignition by changing the time of opening the circuit through the primarycircuit of the spark coil. Each end of the cylinder, 12, is adapted tobe placed in communication with the combustion chamber, 15, to allowinterchange or equalization of gas pressure upon either side of thelpiston, 13, (according to which end of cylinder, 12,'is placed incommunication with the combustion chamber) with the pressure in thecombustion chamber. If the pressure upon the piston, 13, is unbalanced,the 9 piston will move in the direction of the side of lower pressure. i

Crank arm, 16, on the timer is` pivoted to a rod, 17, and to the rod,'17, is pivoted a crank arm, 18 on a vertical shaft, 19, havlng withinthe cylinder, 12, an arm, 20, that is connected by a link, 21, to thepiston, 13, and thus the timer is operatively connected with the controlpiston, 13. m The timer has some form of centrifugal 1 governor thatactsto advance the spark with the increase of engine speed. This may bethe ring type, 22, on a shaft, 23, connected by bevel gears, 24, to thecam shaft, 25, of the engine, and revolved at the same speed.l

Regardless of what may be the action of the centrifugal advance, theautomatic control by piston, 13, is effective since the latter acts onthe timer body to turn the same.

By using a centrifugal controlled timer, set slightly late, designed tocover the wide open throttle range of action of any engine, a failure ofthe engine cylinder having the valve control hereinafter described (suchas a missing spark plug, or badly leaking valve,

either of which would cause the control to y go to full retard) will notaffect the engine to as great an extent as without the centrifugaladvance. Practically all cars in America have the centrifugallycontrolled spark advance and due to the fact that hardly anyone movesthe hand advance except at starting, the actual spark timing is lateover 95% of the driving of the car, especially in the city and townwork. The driver will not have a knocking engine or advance the sparkwhen he should, therefore practically all engines are being run with alate spark except when the throttleis wide open, at'which time thecentrifugal automatic timer may give a correct timing of the spark atall speeds. The combination of automatic control and centrifugal advancepartl overcomes the full retarding action that ta es place with failureofrmy valve-control automatic described hereinafter, when the controlcylinder fails to function, by onl retarding to the wide open throttlespark a vance position at any speed. The engine thus equipped wouldperform as Well as do the cars now in use, even although my said valvecontrol did not operate. This combination is not necessary at all'exceptin the ver highest grade cars, but might be used w1th cars alreadyequipped with the centrifugal advance.

I now describe the means for automatically placing the cylinder, 12,-incommunication with the engine combustion chamber, 15, f. premising thatfrom opposite sides of the piston, pipes or tubes, 26 and 27,respectively,

' lead from the cylinder to passages 28 and 29,`

respectively in the engine castmg that have valve-controlledcommunication 'with such combustion chamber, and thatl specific valvemechanism is one of the features of my invention. The valve, 30, of thatmechanism is c lindrical with a tapered axial passage, 31, 1n directcommunication with the com# bustion chamber of the engine, which has anover-head cam-shaft, 25, driven at onehalf crank-shaft speed by,two-to-one gears, 33 and 34, that are driven from the enginecrank-shaft (not shown) The engine shown, as I have said-,sis of thefour-cycle, valve-inheadtype. The inlet and exhaust valves are 'one-halfdegrees to the cam shaft.

-37. The inlet-valve cam is 38. The exhaust-valve cam is 39, and 40 isthe exhaust valve-stem guide. The exhaust-Valve meinbers are similar tothe inlet valve members and are not shown completely.

The control valve, 30, is given a reciprocating and rotary oroscillating motion by eccentric, 41, that is mounted on shaft, 25, withits axis at an angle of twenty-two and This causes the eccentric towabble through an angle of forty-five degrees for one completerevolution of the cam shaft and imparts the desired oscillating motionto valve, 30, at the same time it is reciprocating. A plate, 42, has ahub against whichwasher, 43, is held by cap screw, 44. Said plate formsone side of a groove in which shoes with pins, 45 and 46, ride. Theposition of eccentric, 41, can be adjusted by loosening the cap-screw,then turning the eccentric to the desired adjustment and then tighteningthe screw as it is held by the clamping action of said screw, in anydesired adjustment. This means enables timing the control valve, 30. Theeccentric, 41, is pivoted by the opposite pins, 45 and 46, in a yoke,47, at the valve end. The yoke is pivoted by a pin, 48, to a block, 49,that is straddled by and pivoted to a fork, 50, lon the valve end. Itwill be seen that a fully universal joint action takes place at eitherend of eccentric-rod or yoke, 47.

The eccentric, 41, is shown at its point of approximately maximumvelocity for the valve', 30, on the downward stroke. The enine piston,P, is at top dead center on the eginning of the power stroke. Port, 51,in valve, 30, has just closed after passing the passage, 28, in theengine cylinder casting. Thusy passage, 28, was in direct communicationwith combustion chamber, 15, for a short period just before dead center.Port, 52, will next be in communication with passage, 29, as'valve, 30,descends and the engine piston, P, has traveled downward about onetenthof its power stroke. Further downward movement of valve, 30, closesport, 29, and as the valve has been oscillated nearly forty-five degreesbefore thejports, 52 and i 51, nre again at a height to register withtheir respective passages, it will be `:seen that said ports andpassages are only in communication on the downward stroke of valve,

.- 0. Any desired timing for the opening of the surfaces of eccentric,41,- where the eX- groove, 53, in cam shaft bearing block, 54,

thence through passages, 55, 56 and 57, to

cess lubricates the various joints and surfaces of the control valvemechanism.

It will be seen that the valve, 30, has a very short passage, 31,between the engine combustion chamber and the valve ports, and thisisyimportant as a short passage gives the most accurate control. thatcomplete water cooling is assured for the valve and the passages, 28 and29, which pass through the water space above the cylinder head. i

Valve, 30,'may be split so as to produce sealing of the ports yexpansion of the valve under explosion pressure.

Ports may be arranged through the sleeves of Knight and other sleevevalve engines, so as to give the desired valve action without extramechanism.

A cover, 58, encloses the valve mechanism and upon it is mounted thecontrol cylinder 12.

Rod, 17, has a pointer, 59, showing by a scale, .60, on the instrumentboard of lthe car, its position at all times.

In starting the engine the operator pushes on the knob, 61, on the rod,17, to close the switch of the starting motor. The combination ofstarting switch and manual ,retarding of the spark control removes anydan-I ger or possibility of the automatic control being in an advancedposition when the starter motor is in operation. Many other arrangementscan be devised to fit any particular requirements, such as a linkage toretard control, operating when a foot operated starting switch is used.y

The starting switch at the end of rod, 17, consists of laminatedcontact, 62, insulated from rod, 17, which closes the circuit by makingcontact with blocks, 63 .and 63, insulated from other parts b block, 64,fastened to engine cover, 58. short stiff spring, 65, is provided tokeepthe circuit open except when suiicient force is applied to knob, 61,to push the rod. Starting battery is designated, 66, and the startingmotor for the engine is designated, 67.

Preferably adash-pot is provided for the control piston, 13. I show avane type of oil dash-pot as part of the control cyllnder casting. Thelowerv end of shaft, 19, is slotted and fitted with a vane, 68, thatoscillates in the cylindrical opening, 69, at the base of cylinder, 14.A cover closes this opening, 69, to retainv oil. The cover has twointegral .vanes,`and 71. All parts are fitted with close clearances togive the desired dash action. A filler screw 72, is provided for thereservoir, 73, whichholds a small reserve of oil for the dash chamber,69. Both, 73 and 69 must be lilled at the start.

Giving a description of the operation of the It will be also seenpeating the detailed description of parts whichV has already been given,it will be understood vthat through the passages between the enginecylinder and the cylinder, 12,whichincludethe pipes, 26 and 27, pressurefrom the engine cylinder may be exerted on both sides of the piston, 13,the transfer of pressure between 'engine cylinder and cylinder, 12,being under control of the automatically operated valve, 30, no movementof the piston, 13, taking place if the pressure balances on. oppositesides thereof, and movement in one direction or the other taking placewhen there is a difference of pressure upon opposite sides of thepiston, 13, and when movement of the piston, 13, takes place, the sparkis advancedV or retarded by the rotation of the timer by means of theconnections between it andthe piston, 13. By way of illustration, whenthe engine piston, P, has moved from dead center position through, sayone-tenth of its power stroke, the valve, 30, will be moved to opencommunication between the combustion chamber and the cylinder, 12, onopposite sides'of its piston, 13. If ignition is delayed or occurs lateafter the power stroke movement of the engine piston begins, the rapidincrease in explosion pressure which takes place will cause a superiorpressure upon that side of the piston, 13, to the pressure upon theopposite sides which resulted from and exists in consequence of thepressure taken from the combustion chamber at the time the engine pistonwas in its dead center position and the result will be that the piston,13,A will be moved in the direction to adjust the timer to advance thespark. `When the spark is too early a corresponding but opposite actionof th'e piston, 13, will take place and in consequence the timer will beadj usted by the movement of the piston, 13, to retard the spark. By theautomatic change of the point of ignition according to the pressureconditions in the engine a state of equilibrium is reached when thepressures at the deadcenter position of the engine piston on itscompression stroke and when it traverses one tenth of its power strokeare substantially equal.

What I claim is:

1. The combination of an engine having a cylinder and a piston, apressure operated means subjected to pressure within the cylinder at apredetermined point in the travel of the piston, ignition meansincluding a timer, an operative connection between said pressureoperated means and the timer, a reciproeating and oscillating valve tocontrol communication between the engine cylinder and saidpressure-operated means, and automatic means for actuating said valve.

2. The combination of a power producing engine having a power cylinderand a piston, pressure-operated means, means-'to cause the operation ofsaid pressure-operated means by the differential of two pressures, oneof which pressures is obtained from the engine at a predetermined pointin the travel of the engine piston and means to utilize movement of saidpressure-operated means for some purpose in the operation of the engine,comprising a reciprocating and oscillating valve.

3. A construction as in claim 2 in which the valve has an axial passageand ports opening thereto.

4. A construction as in claim 2 in which the engine is a.` valveinheadtype, has an overhead cam shaft, and the valve is operatively connectedwith said shaft.

5. An internal combustion engine having ignition means capable ofvariation of the time of igniting the charge and having an automaticignition timer, means subjected to two pressures at predetermined pointswithin 2o the engine cylinder and a manual ignition timer.

6. The combination of a timer having a centrifugal ignition advance,means subjected to two pressures at predetermined points within theengine cylinder, comprising a piston and cylinder and means actuatedthereby, and

means for causing the action of the piston by pressure taken from theengine.

7. The combination Iof a timer having a centrifugal ignition advance andanother ignition timer, and means subjected to two pressures atpredetermined points within the engine cylinder.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aihx my signature.

. WARREN F. STANTON.

